Fear is an “unpleasant” emotion or anxious concern formed from our anticipation or awareness of danger. There is also another viewpoint of fear attributed to God that many may not associate as fear, and it is a
The Hebrew word translated into 'awe' in the Bible is yirah (יראה, pronounced yir-ah). It often directly translates into fear, like “fear of the Lord,” but it can also mean respect, reverence, and worship. But, make no mistake about it, yirah is strongly connected to 'trembling'.
In this passage, we see two types of fear. Fear that drives us from God (v. 19), and fear that drives us toward God (v. 20).
What does the spirit of fear mean? Our spirit is the part of us that connects with God. Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous and likely to cause pain or a threat. When your spirit is clogged or dominated by fear, your connection to God is affected.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Matthew 10:28
"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
You can pray out scriptures as well whenever you are feeling fearful. Also, pray against that spirit or whatever limiting beliefs you are meditating on. Get to the root of what is causing you to fear. It is also good to pray that the Lord will give you the strength to overcome it.
Faith is the opposite of fear. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith allows us to believe that God is going to do something great even before it comes to pass. Faith enables us to believe things that may not make sense to our natural minds. One of the main ways we release our faith is through what we say.
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. While some Christans accept these as a definitive list of specific attributes, others understand them merely as examples of the Holy Spirit's work through the faithful.
2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind - Scripture Frame - Bible Verse.
And yet, in Isaiah 41:10 God tells us to not to fear. He says, Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
God is worthy of our trust.
“Fear is faithlessness,” said George MacDonald. Or we might say fear is misplaced trust. Fear will cause us to trust our own resources or to put our trust in someone or something else other than God.
Unhealthy fear will cause you to stop advancing and in areas of growth and development and keep you from fulfilling the plan of God for your life. Unhealthy fear will cause you to doubt and keep you from growing spiritually mature in Christ.
Fear is a power that can grip your soul. It will fight against your faith. It will battle for control of your mind and your heart. If fear were simply an emotion, we could ignore it, but fear debilitates.
Understood biblically, then, the way we fear the Lord is by believing in Jesus Christ, acknowledging him as God, joyfully obeying him, and trusting him with our lives completely.
Godly fear is good fear and it comes from the hand of our gracious God. Jon Bloom writes: Fear is designed by God and has a wonderful, protective benefit for us when it functions as God designed it. Instinctual fears are tremendous mercies, protecting us from danger before we even have time to think.
Fear of God may refer to fear itself, but more often to a sense of awe, and submission to, a deity. People subscribing to popular monotheistic religions for instance, might fear Hell and divine judgment, or submit to God's omnipotence.
It is cultivated by being with other believers who take God seriously. It is cultivated by time in the Word and under the Word, and even by hearing a sermon like Jonathan Edwards' Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. All of that together cultivates a reverential awe and a holy fear of God.
It is not impossible to live in faith and fear at the same time. We can have faith in God, God's plan for us, and God's plan for the world but still struggle with our very human fears. Our fears are our insecurities, which, at their core, can always be traced back to a core fear and suspicion of God.
Seek Him by reading what he has to say through the Bible. Seek Him through prayer; seek Him through your LifeGroup by having people pray for you. Seek Him in other books written by Christians (see the resources below;, seek after God day and night until He takes away your fears.
Moses: The courage to face the past
Moses faced his insecurity and fears by responding to God's call to go back to Egypt where his fears began. He was motivated by God's vision of working through him to save his people, the Jews, from the suffering they were experiencing.
Drop into your body and notice the fear, uncertainty, anxiety that is causing you to want to get control. Stay with this physical sensation in your body, the energy of uncertainty, that causes you to grasp for control. Be with it fully, allowing yourself to feel it. Relax and surrender to it.
Fear starts in the part of the brain called the amygdala. According to Smithsonian Magazine, “A threat stimulus, such as the sight of a predator, triggers a fear response in the amygdala, which activates areas involved in preparation for motor functions involved in fight or flight.